Here are some things we do in my middle school classes:

We have an established protocol for any kind of classroom discussion, presentation, or interaction, and that protocol includes me:

1. Attentive listening.
2. Give back what we heard.
3. Tell the person what you heard that was good, positive, powerful.
4. Offer constructive feedback, or ask questions, or both.

We use this in all kinds of settings and for all kinds of purposes.

Modeling, modeling, modeling...I have to be the first in the room to be kind and empathetic. Always. If I'm having a bad day, struggling with this for any reason, I'll tell the kids right away when they enter the room, tell them that I'm not mad at them, but at something else going on in my day, and ask them what strategies I should use to get back on track. This makes them empathetic, rather than wary, and they bring up all those things we've talked about and used on other days, and then they are especially attentive (for middle school) for the rest of that class, supporting my efforts.

We spend just a few minutes every single day talking about what kindness, or empathy, or respect, looks like in different settings and situations. As a staff, we also go out of our way to positively recognize those behaviors when we see them happening, keeping in mind that our students need to get 5 positives for every correction we give them. And, while it isn't perfect, we have a healthier, more caring environment than many others.

As a matter of fact, I've already got 7th and 8th graders emailing me, asking when we'll meet to plan the 6th graders' first day, which doesn't include 7th and 8th graders. Some will give up half a day for planning, and then their last day of summer, to be on hand on that first day, to welcome the new 6th graders, get to know them, build some trust and community, and offer themselves up as mentors in the coming months.

I obtained this article through my daughters' first school, and now my younger (28 years old) has a 2 year old who she's teaching along with another little one.

My daughter may continue to teach at home, and as she studied Studied Child Development & Family Studies-Preschool & Special Education in college, I'm sure she has what it takes, along with advice such as you provide.